Though it may seem like an unlikely dream to some, the truth is that many different shows have been around for more than 10 years each—and plenty of people have been launched to superstardom after performing on these shows. Still, making it onto one of these shows is difficult enough, let alone competing in the finals.

Although the song is originally sung and performed by a woman, Arthur turned it into something completely his own and blew the whole crowd away. When it was over, the audience gave him a huge round of applause and he got all the yeses he needed to continue!

From there, he went on to do more and more impressive performances… all the way up to the finals.

When he finally sings the last note, the crowd gives him a bigger round of applause than nearly anyone has ever heard.

As it turns out, Arthur’s performance on that season was enough to win the show for him!

Still, that wasn’t the end of Arthur’s musical career. Since 2012, he has gone on to sign with a record label and launch his own solo career. Although you may not have heard of him, he has a huge song of his own called “Say You Won’t Let Go” that has nearly a billion views on YouTube! Even if you didn’t know the name until now, you’ve almost definitely heard this one before:

Needless to say, the dream of being discovered is still alive and well!

Most of all, Arthur’s rise to stardom shows that it’s so important to put yourself out there. Although he clearly had the talent all along, his unique artistic choices and his interpretations of the songs themselves sent him over the edge.

Congratulations to James Arthur on all his success! Watch the full performance in the clip below: